to be sad that my 3 year old regularly tells me his teddies aren't real!

[racheyh]

I grew up thinking teddies/stuffed animals came awake when you weren't there and played together in your room until you came back when they quickly laid down pretending they weren't really real. Even now I find it hard to treat them like any other toy that gets thrown in the toy box and like to make sure they are comfy IYSWIM. I do realise this makes me slightly soft in the head!

Anyway my 3 year old quite often tells me his teddies aren't real eg if I tuck him into bed and say are you comfy he says yes, I say is Bear comfy he says don't be silly he's not really real. Or I say don't throw Bear down the stairs you'll hurt his head he says he can't hurt his head he's not real!

Is it normal for kids to be this practical about things? Every time he says it I feel sad both for the bear and for him. OH thinks I'm mad, am I?

Yes. You're mad.

but...but...they are real - they told me so....

But very sweet with it.

You are mad, love.

I knew my teddies weren't real. Still loved them to death though. Your dc aint missing out.

You are a bit mad but in a lovely way. I used to think all my dolls came alive at night when I was asleep. And wondered why my sister never liked her dolls and did horrid things to them. Years later it turned out she was worried about them coming alive - had never occurred to me anyone would possibly imagine they could be bad! So I traumatised her for life, but without meaning to.

But yes you are very sweet.

Oh dear God.

When I was a child I knew my teddies weren't real - but I still had a rota system so they all got an equal time in bed with me and left a binliner on the shelf so if the house went on fire I could save them. So kids can believe two contradictory things at the same time.

All of my (many, many) animals and dolls got the pride of place in my bed.. They needed to be comfy. I slept tightly curled at base of the bed or around them... (Wouldn't want them to fall out!)

My DCs liked to pretend they were real and we often played the 'make them talk' game, I now do with my 3 yr old GD it's sweet! [smile}

Santa's not real either you know!

I was like you and pretended the soft toys I had were alive, of course I knew they weren't, but that didn't stop me enjoying the game.

I used to pretend with DD1 that there was a fairy living at the bottom of our apple tree, I may have taken it a bit too far though because she was quite upset when she asked whether he really was there, and I said it was me.

It's just pretend and imagination, perhaps he's not into that and is going to excell in his profession as a scientist or mathematician?

Mojo

Don't listen to her wukter

My son at 3 used to cherish his ted; one day I said "who do you love most, Ted or Mummy?" and after a long pause he said "Would you be upset if I said Ted?"

Lol Colliecross
Reminds me of that advert - "Daddy or chips?"

Chips every time! You can't dunk a daddy in ketchup!

YANBU and chips

Ah, you need to read him the velveteen rabbit.

(lovely children's book which says toys are real if they are loved)

Do you own a Winnie the Pooh applique sweatshirt?

After I saw ET I cycled round and round with a teddie in the bicycle basket wrapped in a towel but I never did take off. A little bit of me really had some hope.

Sounds like my ds3! Ds1 and ds2 were mad into their teddies and used to take them all to bed rather than leave one out!

Ds3 threw his teddy down on the floor one day and I said "Oh, poor Teddy!"

He looked at me like this and said "He can't think or feel or anything!" as if he thought I wasn't quite all there!

Some children are just that bit more practical!

when I was little I used to line my teddies and dolls up at the bottom of the bed to ward off monsters but my children just seem to ignore all theirs in fact the only one that ever really gets even picked up is a hippo and thats because her auntie bought if for her (rejected smiley)

Read him The Velveteen Rabbit, it will change his mind.

Whenever we moved (which was a lot), my Mum would always get out the medical set and put my toys to sleep so they wouldn't feel the journey. YANBU